PTE Reading Section
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Verbs
➢ Verbs: are words that show an action (sing), occurrence (develop), or state of being (exist).
➢ There are three verb forms, Present, past and past participle.
➢ Past participle usually ends with (n, d, t).
➢ After (Have, has, had) always comes V3.
EX: I have eaten my dinner.
➢ After (Was, were) always comes V3 in passive voice.
EX: A letter was written by Emma.
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Verbs
➢ After (Is, am, are, was, were) always comes V1 + ing in active voice.
EX: He is playing football.
➢ After (Be, been, being) always comes V3.
EX: This conversation is being recorded.
➢ After Modal verbs (will, can, could, may, might, shall, should) always comes V1.
EX: I will take the exam next week.
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Verbs
➢ In English if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive.
EX: I like helping my co-workers.
EX: I want to see a movie.
➢ Verbs followed by a gerund '-ing' form:
(admit, advise, allow, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, can’t help, celebrate, confess, consider,
defend, delay, discuss, dislike, enjoy, escape, explain, feel, like, finish, forgive, give up, keep,
keep on , mention, miss, practice, prevent, recommend, report, resume, suggest, support and
understand).
EX: He misses playing with his friends.
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Verbs
➢ Verbs followed by an infinitive:
(agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, can/can’t afford, can/can’t wait, care, chance, choose,
claim, come, decide, demand, deserve, determine, elect, expect, fail, get, grow, guarantee,
hesitate, hope, hurry, learn, manage, mean, need, neglect, offer, pay, plan, prepare, pretend,
promise, prove, refuse, remain, request, resolve, say, seek, seem, strive, struggle, swear,
tend, threaten, volunteer, wait, want, wish and would like)
EX: I want to learn Arabic.
➢ Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive:
(begin, can’t bear, can't stand, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, propose and start)
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Present Perfect vs Simple Past
➢ You must always use the present perfect when the time of an action is not important or
not specified.
EX: I have seen this movie before.
➢ You must always use the simple past when details about the time or place that an
action occurred are given or requested.
EX: He met his wife 6 years ago.
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Passive vs Active
Active : Subject + Verb + Object.
Passive: The object comes in the begging of the sentence.
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Articles
Article: a word that comes before a noun or adjective to show if it's specific or general.
➢ If there is a blank after a / an / the it will always be a noun.
EX: She works in a bank.
➢ If there is a blank between an article (a / an / the) and a noun, it will always be an
adjective.
EX: he went to a good hotel last week.
➢ If there is a blank after a / an, it will always be a singular noun.
➢ A: comes before nouns start with consonant sound.
➢ An : comes before nouns start with vowel sound.
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Adjectives end with ed, ing
➢ If you are describing someone's feelings, then you would use –ed.
EX: I’m so excited to watch the match.
➢ If you are describing the characteristic of the event, then you would use –ing.
Ex: Yesterday I watched an interesting movie.
Ex: I am bored. (correct).
Ex: I am boring. (we hope it’s incorrect).
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grammar rules
➢ Always comes infinitive verb after To if the verb is missing in the sentence.
EX: I am here to watch a movie.
➢ Always comes a gerund (-ing) form after (While / for/ when) if the verb is missing in
the sentence.
EX: while exploring the options, I found the correct answer.
➢ Always comes a (verb + s) after (it, which, that, singular subject) if the verb is missing
in the sentence.
EX: It plays an important role in preventing poverty.
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grammar rules
➢ Always comes after (many) plural nouns.
EX: There are many ways to solve the problem.
➢ The verbs before and after (and) have the same form.
EX: Yesterday I went to the gym and did some exercises.
➢ The nouns before and after (and) have the same form (plural or singular).
EX: Discuss all the advantages and disadvantages of the topic.
➢ When you have to choose the verb tense of the blank look for the verb tense of the
whole passage.
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collocations
➢ Adjective + noun: Fast food ( I don’t like eating fast food).
➢ Verb + noun: To make a mistake (He always makes mistakes when he speaks).
➢ Verb + adverb: Fully recover (It will take some time for the patient to fully
recover).
➢ Adverb + adjective: Fully aware (Are you fully aware of the implications of your
action).
➢ Noun+ noun: Cheese cake (She really loves cheese cake).
➢ Verb + preposition: Depend on (You can't depend on your parents forever).
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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This is how your screen will look like in the
‘Reading & Writing FIB’ questions
w R
23 23
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Task Description
❖ You will have a passage up to 300 words long with 5 blanks
maximum, each blank with up to five options.
❖ You need to choose the correct choice based on the context and
grammar.
❖ You will have 5-6 of these questions.
❖ Contributes in Writing and Reading.
❖ Click “Next” once you finish.
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Marking Criteria
Each correctly completed blank 1 Point
Minimum score 0 Points
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Tips
❖ Try to skim quickly through the passage.
❖ Focus on the context.
❖ Don’t spend more than 3 minutes on the same passage.
❖ Eliminate the incorrect options.
❖ Pay attention for grammar rules.
❖ Pay attention for collocations.
❖ Pay attention for all options.
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Example #1
Creating a living, breathing creature from a genome sequence that exists only in a
computer's memory is not possible right now. But someone someday is sure to try
it, ------------- Stephan Schuster, a ------------- biologist at Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, and a ------------- force behind the mammoth genome
project.
1. predicts --- forecast ---foresee --- anticipate
2. human --- animal --- molecular --- organ
3. driving --- army --- moving --- carrying
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Example #2
Egg-eating snakes are a small group of snakes whose ------------- consists only of
eggs. Some eat only small eggs, which they have to swallow -------------, as the
snake has no teeth. Instead, some other snakes eat bigger eggs, but it requires special
-------------. These snakes have spines that stick out from the backbone. The spines
------------- the egg ------------- as it passes through the throat.
1. food --- products --- dietitian --- diet
2. entire --- whole --- fast --- slow
3. food --- supplement --- thinking --- treatment
4. beats --- crack --- break --- buy
5. close --- down --- open --- up
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Example #3
Roads of rails called Wagonways were being used in Germany as ------------- as 1550.
These ------------- railed roads consisted of wooden rails over which horse-drawn wagons or
carts moved with greater ease than over dirt roads. Wagonways were the beginnings of
modern railroads. ------------- 1776, iron had replaced the wood in the rails and wheels on
the carts. Wagonways evolved into Tramways and spread throughout Europe. Horses still
provided all the pulling power. In 1789, Englishman, William Jessup designed the first
wagons with flanged wheels. The ------------- was a groove that allowed the wheels to better
grip the rail, this was an important design that carried over to later locomotives.
1. late --- same --- much --- early
2. primitive --- projected --- prioritized --- prime
3. On --- From --- In --- By
4. wheel --- flange --- slot --- parts
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Examples Answers
Example Blank 1 Blank 2 Blank 3 Blank 4 Blank 5
#1 predicts molecular driving - -
#2 diet whole treatment crack open
#3 early primitive By flange -
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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This is how your screen will look like in the
‘MCQ – Multiple Answers’ questions
R
2
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Task Description
❖ You will have a passage up to 275 words long.
❖ You will have 5-7 options to choose from.
❖ Two options or more are correct.
❖ You will have 1-2 of these questions.
❖ Contributes only in Reading.
❖ Click “Next” once you finish.
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Marking Criteria
Each correct response 1 Point
Each incorrect response -1 Point
Minimum score 0 Points
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Tips
❖ Don’t read the whole passage.
❖ Read the question first.
❖ Don’t spend more than two minutes per each passage.
❖ Choose only the correct answers.
❖ Don’t worry too much about this question.
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Example
By the laws of probability, most decisions Which of the following does the passage tell us
made under pressure should be flawed ones, about decision making?
yet psychologists have found that people ro
utinely make correct judgments most of the A) The brain is designed to enable quick
time, even with limited decision making.
information. One of Gladwell's surprising p
B) Quick decision making can be improved.
oints is that we can actually learn how
to make better snap judgments, in the C) Quick decision making routinely leads to
same way that we can learn logical, error.
deliberative thinking. But first we have to a
ccept the idea that thinking long and D) To make correct decisions we require all
hard about something does not always relevant information.
deliver us better results, and that the
brain actually evolved to make us think E) Thinking things through thoroughly will lead
on our feet. to greater success.
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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This is how your screen will look like in the
‘Re-order Paragraph’ questions
R
7
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Task Description
❖ You will have 4-5 sentences in incorrect sequence.
❖ You need to read the sentences, understand the context and arrange
them in the correct sequence.
❖ The input text for each item is up to 150 words long.
❖ You will have 2-3 of these questions.
❖ Contributes only in Reading.
❖ Click “Next” once you finish.
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Marking Criteria
Each pair of correct adjacent textboxes 1 Point
Minimum score 0 Points
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Tips
❖ Find an independent sentence: a sentence that introduces the topic and can
stand out by itself.
❖ It will mainly introduce a person’s name, book title, research names or
places.
❖ It will not have any pronouns unless those were identified in the same
sentence.
❖ The first sentence will not start with transition words like Firstly, Secondly,
However or Finally.
❖ The sentence contains full name comes before sentence contains acronym.
(United States /U.S), (Dr. John Smith/ Dr. Smith).
❖ The pronoun that comes at the beginning of the sentence usually refers to the
last name was mentioned in the previous sentence.
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Tips
❖ Article rule: sentence contains nouns with A /An comes before
sentences contain the same noun with The.
❖ Time period or dates, from past to present or from present to past.
❖ Normal paragraph flow (main idea, supportive, explanation or
example, then conclusion)
❖ (Idea / example/ Idea / example).
❖ (Problem, reason then solution).
❖ Don't spend more than two minutes for each.
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Example #1
A- Reread with the idea that you are measuring what you have gained from
the process.
B- It is a review of what you are supposed to accomplish not what you are
going to do.
C- A review is a survey of what you have covered.
D- Rereading is an important part of the review process.
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Example #2
A- They can be surprised by the results.
B- But a growing number of companies are setting up schemes to recruit
young workers.
C- They are skeptical about young people’s skills and their readiness for
work.
D- Employers are often reluctant to hire young people, even though there
are more than 850,000 unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds and UK businesses
are struggling to fill one in five vacancies because of skills shortages.
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Examples Answers
Example No Correct sequence
#1 (C,B,D,A)
#2 (D,C,B,A )
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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This is how your screen will look like in the
‘Reading Fill in the Blanks’ questions
R
17
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Task Description
❖ You will have a passage up to 80 words long with 3-5 blanks and
three extra options at the bottom.
❖ You need to choose the correct choice based on the context and
grammar.
❖ You will have 4-5 of these questions.
❖ Contributes only in Reading.
❖ Click “Next” once you finish.
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Marking Criteria
Each correctly completed blank 1 Point
Minimum score 0 Points
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Tips
❖ Try to skim quickly through the passage.
❖ Focus on the context and grammar.
❖ Fill the blanks you know first then try to figure out the remaining.
❖ Don’t spend more than 2.5 minutes on the same passage.
❖ Eliminate the incorrect options.
❖ pay attention for collocations.
❖ pay attention for all options.
❖ If there are two words have the same meaning, look for the tense and
grammar.
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Example #1
You have about 30 minutes to answer each question. You must take account of how
many marks are ------------- for each part when you answer it. Even if you think you
can write more, don't spend 15 minutes ------------- a part worth only 5 marks. Leave
space at the end of your answer and come back to it if you have ------------- to spare
later. And if you can't think of an answer to some part, leave a space and move on to
the next part. Don't write about something else if you don't know the correct answer
this is just a waste of your ------------- time (and the examiner's).
time accelerated routine valuable answering available
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Example #2
Wind is air moving around. Some winds can move as fast ------------- a racing car,
over 100 miles per ------------- Winds can travel around the world. Wind can make you
feel cold because you lose heat from your body ------------- when it is windy. Weather
forecasters need ------------- know the speed and direction of the wind. the strength of
wind is measured using the Beaufort scale from wind force when there is no wind, to
wind force 12 which can damage houses and buildings and is called hurricane force.
hour as second more slower with to faster
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Example #3
The overall result of two or ------------ forces acting on an object is called the resultant
force. The resultant of two forces is a single force, which has the same effect as the two
forces combined. If two forces pull an object in ------------ directions, the size of the
resultant can be found by ------------ one force from the other. If the forces are ----------,
they balance each other.
more subtracting distracting opposite same
equally equal compatible adding
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Examples Answers
Example Blank 1 Blank 2 Blank 3 Blank 4
#1 available answering Time valuable
#2 as hour faster to
#3 more opposite subtracting equal
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PTE Reading Questions
1- Reading & Writing FIB 5-6
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 1-2
3- Re-order Paragraph 2-3
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 4-5
5- MCQ – Single Answer 1-2
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This is how your screen will look like in the
‘MCQ – Single Answer’ questions
R
1
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Task Description
❖ You will have a passage up to 110 words long .
❖ You will have 3-5 options to choose from.
❖ One option is correct.
❖ You will have 1-2 of these questions.
❖ Contributes only in Reading.
❖ Click “Next” once you finish.
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Marking Criteria
Correct response 1 Point
Incorrect response 0 Point
Minimum score 0 Point
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Tips
❖ Don’t read the whole passage.
❖ Read the question first.
❖ Spend the rest of your reading time answering these kinds of questions.
❖ If you don't have time try to guess, don’t leave anything unattempted.
❖ Choose only one answer.
❖ Don’t worry too much about this question.
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Example
When he was awarded an Honorary Degree by the
University of Newcastle, even John Robertson himself must What does the reader of this text
surely have looked back in wonder at his learn about John Robertson?
astonishing rise to success. The year was 1910, and
those assembled were to hear not only of his
generosity to the University, which enabled it to
contribute to the pioneering research into tropical A) He was born in Africa.
diseases being carried out at that time, but also of his huma
nitarian work in southern Africa, where he was B) His abilities were evident at a
ahead of his time in improving the working conditions of l young age.
ocal mine workers. To those who knew John in his youth, it
will have come as no surprise to hear of his C) He studied medicine.
success. He was now enjoying the rewards of the
fierce determination, desire to succeed and D) He completed his degree in
extraordinary ability to acquire knowledge, which they had 1910.
noticed in the young man.
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Time Management
Question Time for each Total Time Remaining Time
1- Reading & Writing FIB 2-3 Mins 13 (15) Mins 17 (15)
2- MCQ – Multiple Answers 2 Mins 2 (0) Mins 15
3- Re-order Paragraph 2 Mins 5 Mins 11 (10)
4- Reading Fill in the Blanks 2-2.5 Mins 10 Mins 1 (0)
5- MCQ – Single Answer ! Mins ! Mins 0
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